Car-axle box



(No Model.)

D. B. JAMES. GAR AXLB BOX.

oo 1 6 2 y a UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

DAVID BICE JAMES, CF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-AXLE BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,117', dated May 26,1891.

I Application filed October 28, 1890. Serial No. 369,598. (No model.)

To all whom tt 11mg concern.-

Be it known that I, DAVID BICE JAMES, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Francisco, in the county of- San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle-Boxes for Car-lVheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, suoli as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My invention relates to an improvement in the running-gear of cars whichare adapted to run upon a single-track railway, the object being toprovide an easy and positive operating mechanism which will allow eachwheel of the car to move independently of the other, the invention beingparticularly applicable to two-wheeled cars, locomotives, and othervehicles, and will follow very sharp curves in the track Withoutcramping or otherwise injuring the running mechanism of the truck, as isthe case oftentimes when the wheels are carried in rigid boxes; and theinvention con sists in the construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts, substantially as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a topplan View of my improved car-wheel axle-box. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, with a partof the axle-boxmechanism in section, certain parts being broken away. Fig. '4 is adetail View of the arm-provided casting which carries the axle -boxproper.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout allthe different figures of the drawings.

A designates a track having the slot a or intervening space between thetwo parts of the track, and B designates one of the wheels having thecentral circumferential flange b, adapted to work in the slot a.

C C denote the ends of the axle of the wheel B. These ends C C aresupported in suitable bearings or boxes D D. (See Fig. 2.) These boxes Dare carried in castings E, formed as sockets or frames of any suitableform, preferably square or rectangular, (shown in detail in Fig. 4,) andadapted to neatly contain and hold the box or bearing D, wherein islocated the end of the axle.

In Fig. 2 the axle is shown as neatly held within the frame E. Ipreferably provide a pair of coiled springs c c surrounding the pins dCZ and bearing within the frame E between the upper end thereof and theupper side of the axle-box D. In this way the axlebox is held adjustablywithin the frame E and a compensatory movement permitted.

In Fig. 3 one of the axle-boxes D is shown in section, and by referringto this figure it will be clearly seen how the axle-boxes are locatedwithin the frame E and how the spiral spring c is tensioned between thetop of the axle-box and the upper portion of the frame E. Each frame Eis provided with two oppositely-projecting curved arms, which lie in ahorizontal position. These arms are designated by the reference-letterF. The two arms which belong to one casting E are curved in an are ofthe same circle and project outward on opposite sides in curved linesfrom the casting E, which is thus intermediate between the curved arms.dThese arms F F are held in sockets G G, which are securely bolted uponthe car-frame II. By referring to the right-hand part of Fig. 3 one ofthe guides or sleeves G is shown in section with one of the arms Fpassing through it, said arm being likewise in section. Thus it will beselen that at each end of the axle the axle-box at that point issupported in the casting, which has a free lateral movementhorizontally, so that the wheel will be permitted to adjust itself toinequalities in the road and to turn sharp curves.

By referring to Fig. l it will be seen that I have represented the wheelwith its axle and axle-boxes as deflected from their normal position andcaused to occupy a position at an angle. Such a deflection may oftentake place during the motion of the car-wheel, and it is the object ofmy invention to provide easy and efficient means whereby the axle andwheel may change their position without any injury to the car or thetruck. I preferably provide springs I I, consisting of flat pieces ofmetal, which bear upon the outer ends of the arms F F, said springsserving to automatically replace the wheel in normal posi- IOO tionafter the cause of any temporary deliection has been removed. Thetension of the springs I I upon the ends of the pair of arms F F beingpresumably equal, the casting E, which carries the axle-box, will beheld normally at a point midway between said springs, and thus when thewheel varies from its normal position and the springs have their tensionovercome momentarily the tendency will be to replace the wheel and otherpartsin correct position as soon as possible.

The guides G G will act as stops against which the castings E E willstrike, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. I, thereby preventing the wheelfrom moving too far out of its normal position. It will thus be seenthat at each end of the car-wheel axle are circular arms fitting neatlyin guides and moving therein, so as to permit the wheels to turn upon animaginaryT center, and thus run in one direction with the curves of thetrack no matter how sharp they may be, said guides acting also as stopsand allowing the wheels to turn only to a certain distance, therebypreventing the flanges of said wheels from cramping or cutting their wayout from said track.

I am aware that prior to my invention various devices have been employedto pivot the wheels of cars and other vehicles and also to allow them toturn in a sort of goose-neck or upon a fifth-Wheel, and also upon a ringcarrying the bearings of the axles while the body of the vehicle waslikewise provided with a deflected ring resting and turning upon theother, as in a car-truck pivoted at the center between the four wheels,the two parts being secured in place by a king-bolt; but I do notconsider that any of these devices anticipate in any degree theconstruction and combination herein given,but presume that my inventionis entirely clear of and away from any of these devices, and by myconstruction I attain many obvious advantages not before attained andprovide a combination possessing numerous merits and valuable uses.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Iletters Patent, is-

I. The combination,with a car-axle and its boxes, of arm-providedcastings carrying said boxes, said castings being movablein suitableguides for the purpose of permitting the carwheel to be deflected fromits normal position, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a car or vehicle wheel and its axle, of theaxle-boxes and castings supporting said boxes, said castings beingprovided with curved arms and guides, within which said arms are movablefor the purpose of permitting the car-wheel to be deilected from itsnormal position, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a car-wheel and its axle, of the axle-boxes,the castings within which said axle-boxes are ad justably held by meansof springs, said castings being provided with curved arms, and theguides on the carframe containing said curved arms and permitting themto be movable therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

Y 4. In a car-wheel axle-box, the combination of the wheel having theopposite ends of its axle carried in suitable boxes, the arm-providedcastings supporting said boxes, the guides on the car-frame whichreceive the said arms, the springs within the castings bearing upon theboxes, and the springs bearing upon the ends of the said arms,substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a car-wheel and its axle and the axle-bearings,of the castings E, each provided with a pair of oppositelyprojectingcurved arms F F, together with the guides G G, which receive said arms,substantially as described.

(i. The combination of the wheel B, having axle with ends C C, theaxle-bearings D, the frames E E, provided with the curved arms F F, andthe guides G G, which receive said arms, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the wheel B, the axle having ends C C, thebearings D D for said axles, the castings E E, having curved arms F F,the coiled springsccand pins d d within the frame E,the guides G G forthe arms F F, and the springs I I, bearing against the ends of said armsF F, all substantially as described.

DAVID BICE JAMES. Witnesses:

H. A. COBB, D. J. OBRIEN.

